Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics and Base
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic, minced
Meat
- 500 g ground beef
Tomatoes and Seasoning
- 30 g tomato paste
- 800 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 5 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Pasta
- 400 g spaghetti
- 4000 ml water
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 839 kcal
- Protein
- 35 g
- Carbohydrates
- 125 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 18 g
- Sugar
- 16 g
- Sodium
- 1773 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 38 mg
- Potassium
- 1623 mg
- Calcium
- 433 mg
- Iron
- 8.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 284 mg
- Phosphorus
- 676 mg
- Zinc
- 6.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 92 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 31 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 157 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.62 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.50 mg
- Niacin
- 8.2 mg
- Folate
- 99 mcg
- Water
- 1089 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent and softened, which takes about 5 minutes.
Increase the heat slightly and add the ground beef to the skillet. Cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked completely. Ensure the meat reaches a safe internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.
Stir the minced garlic and tomato paste into the browned meat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until very fragrant and the tomato paste has slightly darkened in color.
Pour in the canned crushed tomatoes, 5g of salt, and black pepper. Stir thoroughly to combine, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce partially covered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally so it thickens and the flavors meld.
While the sauce simmers, bring the water to a vigorous boil in a large pot. Add 30g of salt, then add the spaghetti. Cook according to the package directions until al dente, usually around 9 to 11 minutes.
Carefully scoop out and reserve about 100ml of the starchy pasta cooking water, then pour the spaghetti into a colander to drain.
Transfer the drained spaghetti directly into the skillet with the simmering meat sauce. Toss vigorously to coat every strand. If the sauce seems too thick, add a small splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it and help the sauce cling to the noodles. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Taking the time to properly caramelize the tomato paste before adding the canned tomatoes deepens the savory, umami notes of the sauce and removes any metallic tin flavor.
- Always finish cooking your pasta directly in the sauce rather than just spooning the meat mixture on top of naked noodles. This allows the pasta to absorb the flavors and creates a unified dish.
- The starchy pasta water is an essential ingredient. It acts as an emulsifier, binding the fat in the meat sauce with the liquid to create a glossy finish that coats every strand perfectly.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store pasta and sauce in separate airtight containers if possible to prevent the pasta from absorbing too much liquid and becoming mushy.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the meat sauce only. Cook fresh spaghetti when ready to serve.
Reheating: Reheat the sauce gently in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming, adding a splash of water if needed. Toss with freshly cooked pasta.
Troubleshooting
The sauce is too thin and watery.
Cause: The sauce was not simmered long enough, or the tomatoes had high water content.
Fix: Remove the lid completely, increase the heat to medium, and simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until thickened.
Prevention: Allow the sauce to simmer partially or fully uncovered so excess moisture can evaporate.
The pasta is mushy or overcooked.
Cause: The pasta was left in the boiling water too long or held in its own residual heat after draining.
Fix: Cannot be fixed. In the future, cook the pasta less and finish cooking it directly in the sauce.
Prevention: Test the pasta 2 minutes before the package directions indicate and remove it as soon as it is al dente.
Cultural Context
While the rest of the world knows this dish as Spaghetti Bolognese, its roots lie in the Italian city of Bologna where a rich, slow-cooked meat ragu is traditionally served with fresh egg tagliatelle rather than dried spaghetti. The international adaptation emerged as Italian immigrants adapted their cherished recipes to the ingredients available abroad, creating a beloved global comfort food.
